


Elevator ride

by Grace_xxIOU



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Claustrophobia, Light Angst, M/M, Trapped In Elevator, aftg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:15:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28145196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grace_xxIOU/pseuds/Grace_xxIOU
Summary: Aaron and Neil are stuck in the elevator at one of their class buildings and have to figure out how to get out without one of them dead.
Relationships: Kevin Day/Aaron Minyard, Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard, Nicky Hemmick/Erik Klose
Comments: 2
Kudos: 116





	Elevator ride

The elevator screeched to a halt, the electricity flickering out briefly before the emergency lights came on. Aaron looked up to the ceiling in frustration, cursing his luck. This was not what he needed right now, he had midterms starting tomorrow and everything going on with Kevin was just too much for him to handle at once. He looked to his left, wishing he was stuck in here with anyone but Josten.  
“You have to be fucking kidding me.” Aaron started hitting the emergency buttons hoping someone would pick up on the other end. His other hand was occupied by his cell phone as he tried to get a signal.  
“It won’t work, the powers out, the elevator is old, and we’re on the ground floor. No buttons, no signal, no getting out.” Neil had backed himself into the corner and was gripping the wall with a too extreme intensity.  
“Josten?” Aaron actually took a good look at Neil. The usually calm exy player was pale and breathing slightly heavily. Something was wrong but Aaron couldn’t figure out what.  
“Hey, Josten, you good?” Aaron reached over to pat Neil on the shoulder but before his hand landed, Neil’s whole body jerked away and he collapsed to the floor.  
“Hey! Hey, what’s wrong, what's going on?” Neil wasn’t saying a word and Aaron wondered if maybe he’d gotten hurt when the elevator jerked to a stop. Then it hit him.  
Neil was now hyperventilating into his knees, the small space, limited lighting. Neil Josten was claustrophobic.  
Of course he would be, because nothing in Aaron’s life could be simple, not even getting stuck in an elevator.  
“Neil, hey listen, maybe we can pry the doors open.” Aaron tried to remain calm, putting all his effort into remembering what he’d been learning about bedside manner.  
“That’s just a myth,” Neil replied, “they won’t open enough, it’s a safety feature.”  
“Oh.” Aaron was at a loss, there was nothing to do but wait for someone to realize the elevator wasn’t moving but even then they would still have to find someone to fix it.  
Figuring this information probably would make Jostens panic worse, he kept it to himself as yet tried to figure out what to do.  
“Um listen why don’t you try thinking about something else?” Aaron knew it wasn’t that simple but a boy could hope.  
“Amazing, you can probably cure cancer with great ideas like that one.” Neil stated dryly.  
“Well if you can gather yourself enough to make a snarky remark I think you can figure out a distraction.” Aaron snapped back.  
“Just- Just talk to me about something, a story or whatever. I don’t know, list me medical facts, just keep me distracted.”  
Aaron sat down on the floor in front of Josten. “Okay um…” Aaron began listing anything and everything he could remember from his notes. At first it seemed to be successful but quickly turned bad when Aaron started talking about injuries relating to burns.  
It was like Neil had shut down again. He wasn’t hyperventilating, it looked more like he’d dissociated which wasn’t ideal either.  
“Josten? Okay I can’t tell if you’re completely zoned out or you’re just non responsive so I’m gonna keep talking anyway but if you want me to shut up just tell me.” Aaron tried to think of more stuff to explain but his mind came up blank.  
“I guess I can tell you a story or something. There was this one time, I think Andrew and I were 17, we went grocery shopping for Nicky.  
So what happened was Andrew needed cigarettes and the cashier wouldn’t sell to us because we were underage or whatever. And basically Andrew threw a gallon of milk on the ground out of nowhere but I grabbed two packs while everyone was distracted. Andrew left $20 on the counter on the way out the door so I mean we didn’t technically steal them but that was one of the few times I don’t know that our lives seemed normalish I guess.”  
Aaron looked over at Neil to see he seemed more aware, it didn’t look like he was in total meltdown mode anymore which was a good sign in Aaron’s opinion. Aaron figure if Josten hadn’t kicked him yet, as he was very much in kicking range, he should keep going.  
“There was also this other time when I was around 14, I was visiting Nicky for the weekend and Nicky was like 17 I think so we decided it would be a great idea to break into Luther’s liquor cabinet. It was the first time either one of us had drank and that’s a nice way of saying we were stupid and managed to get caught because as it turns out watering down expensive scotch is noticeable especially when you have two kids with obvious hangovers.  
Josten, when I tell you we got our asses beat I mean it was bad and honestly we probably deserved it a little. Afterwards was the point of the story though because I had to go home and stuff and when Nicky and I were saying goodbye that was when he told me he was going to Germany.  
And I was mad at first, I mean I didn’t tell him that obviously but I was pissed because he was getting out and I had to go back home to California. But now, I guess it worked out because I mean it was the best thing that ever happened to him and I met Andrew a year later.” Aaron glanced back over at Neil to see him staring directly at him.  
“Does Nicky know you’re not still mad at him for leaving?” It was the first thing the kid had said in 45 minutes and of course this is what comes out.  
“Nicky didn’t know I was mad in the first place so it doesn’t matter.” Aaron snarked.  
“He does know you were mad and he still beats himself up about it so maybe you should go let him know to let it go.” Neil snarked back.  
“Stop getting involved with my family’s affairs, Josten. You always come in, stir the pot and leave the rest of us to clean up afterwards. First all the shit with Andrew, now you’re going to start with Nicky? What is it with you, are you going to start sleeping with my cousin too?”  
Neil was quiet, just looking at Aaron with his stuck up witty expression.  
“Well?”  
“I was waiting for our regularly scheduled Aaron to return.” Neil went back to staring with no further explanation.  
“Well what the fuck is that supposed to mean?”  
“You’ve returned to your usual homophobic, asshole self, instead of whoever the person telling those personal stories was earlier. Skeeved me out.” Neil stated with a dead serious expression.  
Aaron couldn’t help but laugh, “I was trying to talk about something Josten, don’t need to get your panties in a twist.”  
Another hour goes by without much of an event. Aaron sits in his corner fingering at a hangnail while Neil stares into space, breath picking up every once in a while only to calm back down as Aaron would tell some random story about Nicky or Andrew or himself.  
“I’m not homophobic, I mean I know I’ve said some stuff that’s not okay but, well I’m working on it.”  
Josten looked up at him confused.  
“Well you have a lot to work on, you do know that you’ve spent Andrews and my entire relationship as well as Nicky and Eriks making homophobic comments right? Even if he doesn’t show it I know it affects Andrew and it most definitely hurts Nicky.”  
“You don’t think I know that, I know Josten. I have a lot to make up for I’m just working through some things.”  
“What things? What does that even mean, is Besty conditioning you everytime a slur comes out of your mouth?”  
All the anxieties from this week bubbled over and Aaron was over his limit.  
“Kevin and I slept together. Last week. And I’ve been re-evaluating some stuff ever since.” Aaron couldn’t believe he just said that out loud to fucking Josten of all people.  
“You and Kevin? That’s a joke right?” Neil looked like he was waiting for the punchline. “Aaron, what?”  
“Kevin said he thinks I’m bisexual. And I’m not going into it but based on this and past events it makes sense and I don’t want the whole team knowing especially Andrew and Nicky but I’m working on it Neil, I’m learning and figuring shit out and I’m going to continue to make mistakes but I’m trying.”  
Aaron was exhausted despite doing nothing for the past two hours but sit and talk at Josten. Neil and Aaron didn’t have much to say after that.  
Suddenly, the emergency light flicked off and the regular ones turned on in their place. The elevator slowly finished moving down the ground floor and Neil and Aaron were out of there within seconds of the door opening.  
The two walked back to fox tower together but Aaron stopped outside the door.  
“Hey, Josten?” He called out.  
“What’s up?” Neil asked, turning around.  
“Listen can we just not bring up what we talked about?”  
“Aaron, listen, I don’t care if you’re gay or straight or whatever. Neither does Andrew and neither does Nicky. I just want you to stop being an asshole but that’s just a part of your personality.  
Figure your shit out as long as you need to, but enough of the bullshit comments to Nicky and Andrew, fair?” Neil looked like he might take after his boyfriend and pull a knife on him if Aaron disagreed.  
“Got it.”  
“Good.”


End file.
